Golden State Warriors Fire Assistant Coach Darren Erman, Cite ‘Violation Of Company Policy’

April 28, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30, left) points to his eye while talking to assistant coach Darren Erman (right) against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 115-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors announced Saturday they have relieved assistant coach Darren Erman of his duties, citing a “violation of company policy,” according to their website.

Erman, who had been Mark Jackson’s No. 2 assistant and a chief strategist, was fired after meeting with team officials Friday night.

General manager Bob Myers stressed that the dismissal was for conduct that any employee of the team would have been terminated for, according to Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com.

Myers also said the firing was under completely different circumstances than the demotion of assistant Brian Scalabrine last month, a decision that was made by Jackson. According to the GM, the decision to remove Erman from his post came from the ownership/front office/legal level.

"“This is the type of decision that would be made across the board and irrespective of position within the organization,” Myers said in a statement. “Obviously, the timing is unfortunate, but we hold all of our employees, whether in basketball operations or other aspects of the business, accountable for their actions and to the same standard. We move forward and thank Darren for his contributions.”"

The timing is definitely tough. It’s unclear what conduct or incident led to Erman’s dismissal. With just six games left in the regular season and team still having a chance to move up to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, it’s a difficult time to lose the mastermind of the team’s defense, which is tied for third in the NBA, allowing 99.7 points per 100 possessions (per NBA.com/Stats).

Only the Pacers (96.1) and Bulls (97.7) have a better rating and Golden State is tied with San Antonio in the ratings. Those are the only four teams in the league allowing less than 100 points per 100 possessions.

Erman was in his third season with the Warriors after coaching four seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he was involved with scouting and individual skill development. He took an unconventional path to the NBA, coaching for two seasons at prep powerhouse St. Anthony High School in New Jersey and two seasons at Brandeis University on Massachusetts before Doc Rivers added him to his staff with the Celtics in 2007.